Tale As Old As Time
by RenegadeZabuzaMomochi
Summary: Who is the Beauty and who is the Beast?


**AN:** I do not own any copyrights to anything that has already been trademarked.

 _ **TALE AS OLD AS TIME**_

 _Once upon a time, in the hidden heart of a dark city, a handsome young lord lived in a beautiful kingdom. Although he had everything his heart desired, the young master was selfish and unkind. He taxed the city to fill his kingdom with the most beautiful objects and his parties with the most beautiful people. Then one night, an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter storm. As a gift, she offered him nothing but a single rose. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince turned the woman away; but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances for beauty is found within. When he dismissed her again, the old woman's outer appearance melted away to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. He begged for forgiveness, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the city and all who lived there. As days bled into years, the dark prince and his servants were forgotten by the rest of the world, for the Enchantress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved. But the rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast..._

Tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme... there was a story my mother always repeated to me so I could be lulled to sleep. It was always a constant reminder of how we shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I was enticed by something else. As a little girl, I have always been fascinated by the enchanted world and how I longed and wished to be a part of it. But I was never given such a wondrous life. No, I was growing up in a strict home. I didn't have many conventional friends like most did, albeit I wasn't really ever lonely. I've always had my family. Growing up with riches beyond the wealthy desires of maniacal diplomats and dull formalities, I was never short of material things. But... while I wasn't truly alone... I had no one I could relate to. Just a fairy tale.

"Talia!" I heard my father call for me.

"Yes, father?"

"Are you decent?"

"Yes." And with just that, he entered my room without any decency to knock and check if I really am decently dressed- redundant, I know. I could hear him sigh; I'm supposed to be in a formal gown but instead, I was in hunting garments. It's what I do to quell my boredom here.

"Talia, we have guests."

"You mean your guests." I rolled my eyes at him.

"There are people already arriving and you are not wearing the gown your mother prepared for you."

"They're still your guests, father."

"And one of those guests is a potential suitor, and you will stop bickering with me and put on your evening gown." He was already beginning to raise his already impatient voice by then.

"But what if I don't want to be with any of them, father!"

"It's not what you want. It is your duty as-"

"As the heiress to the kingdom of Nanda Parbat. Yes, I know." I scoffed, muttering, "As if you haven't repeated that for the umpteenth time..."

"What was that?"

Sighing, I say, "Nothing, father." I really couldn't challenge him without being a disappointment. Thus is the life of the al Ghul family.

"Good. Now you will stop delaying this evening and you will join us in ten minutes."

"Twenty."

"Ten."

"Daddy..."

"Ten minutes, Talia. Do not make me repeat myself."

"As if you hadn't already." He didn't hear it this time.

One would assume that I was a relatively spoiled child growing up and I was. Relatively. I had anything my interests asked for but for some reason, my heart and soul yearned for more. I felt empty inside, as if I was doing routine without a cause. There are some corners of the world that believed in an afterlife, where they would ascend to an eternal paradise, reunited with their loved ones. I choose to let others believe whatever faith they followed, because why should I disrupt that equilibrium? But they always had one thing in common that was shared even with the likes of me. They yearned for something... maybe... even for someone.

One would think that if I was longing for someone, then this formal event my father hosted would be the ideal situation for me to find that missing piece. But it wasn't. Instead, I found myself perturbed and yearning, and yearning... and yearning... it was never enough. It will never be enough! No, it's not what I wanted, not what my heart desired. How could anyone know! My heart yearned... it cried for something... more...

Something... more mysterious...

Something... dark...

I didn't yearn for the prince of the fairy tales mothers read their daughters every night.

"Talia?" I was nearly finished putting on the gown my mother prepared for me when my sister entered my room.

"Hi, Nyssa. Shouldn't you be with mother right now?"

"I should but you hadn't come down yet. I thought you might have ran away." Without even turning to face her, I could smell the sarcasm emanating from her lips.

"Oh, you're funny, Nyssa."

"And you're procrastinating! What's so bad about meeting someone nice for a change?"

"For one, Nyssa, their personalities could be as dull as a Neanderthal's blade."

"They actually used stone axes."

"The point is! I know nothing about them. What if I become unhappy?"

"Mother is happy."

"It's because she came to love father through time and patience."

"Yes, and with time and patience, you might come to appreciate even Edward Nygma."

"Oh, God, please tell me that troglodyte isn't here."

"He isn't here."

"Thank you."

I was deceived. The very first person to notice me was Edward Nygma. It took me about thirty minutes to come to the party. In truth, all I had to do was put on the gown. I was wearing this grotesque yellow ballroom gown that my mother insisted would flatter my curves. Which it probably did but the color was just a horrid selection. I saw a many familiar faces from school and other social standings, and quite more strangers than I could count. You see, we hail from Nanda Parbat, a distant kingdom shared by the al Ghul clan but we decided to bring ourselves to the derelict city of Gotham for Lord knows whatever reason my father has.

"I thought you said he wasn't here."

"I did but you also told me to say that to you." Cheeky little girl. I could strangle her but I'm quite impressed with Nyssa. She's become very clever over the years.

"My lady Talia," Edward greeted me with his vacuous compliments. Despite these many compliments, we could never complement one another. No matter how many eons it would take, I refuse to ever adapt to his riddles. "What-"

"A rose."

"My, my, my! How did you ever know? Is someone developing an interest in riddles?"

"Lucky guess?" I offered, feigning a smile.

"Don't bore the girl, Nygma. The riddles are cute the first two times. After that, they get boring." Harvey Dent. Aspiring to be the District Attorney of Gotham. He and Edward were in the same graduating class, and despite the obvious differences, they got along quite fairly.

"Hello, Mr. Dent. " I curtsied out of respect for our family's tradition. It killed me every time I followed etiquette fitting for an heiress.

"Talia, please! You can call me Harvey!"

"Sure, the ladies love that, Harv." I looked up, tilting my head with curiosity. No, not because of the sibling-like squabble between Harvey and Edward.

"Excuse me." I walked towards what interested me: the balcony. It was open.

And what a beautiful night it was. The fountains painted a canvass of the moonlit wilderness that belonged to the night sky, and I was enthralled by her gracious embrace. The cool breeze always had a perfect timing whenever I needed fresh air. Turning back, I saw my parents engaging the older guests and I noticed that nobody even realized I had walked out. Maybe I was safe for the night?

"Who's he?" I gasped, turning around to see my sister standing right next to me. "What?"

"Nyssa, you could wake a graveyard with that!"

"Me? I wasn't the one who was frightened!"

"Oh, be quiet!"

"You know I'm right! What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I don't... I don't know."

"Oh. Well, are you going to say hi?"

"Why should I? Maybe he wants to be alone."

"Maybe he's cute. And maybe he has cute brothers?"

"Then YOU go talk to him."

"Can't. You're the firstborn. This means my womb is safe."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on. We know these parties are just an auction for men to have you carry their child."

"You have a foul mouth. You need to stop hanging out with that Amanda Waller person."

"Hey, she's cool and really smart."

"And she's nearly gotten you into trouble with Captain Gordon."

"To be fair, Gotham University needs a little light in its halls."

"You have a very disturbing imagination."

"Gotham is a disturbing city."

"No, Gotham is a morbid city. Who sneaks into Gotham University at night and fills the toilets with flatulent aromas?"

"We normal people call those fart sprays. And that's not disturbing. You're just too proper," Nyssa said with an emphasis on the British accent.

"Am not."

"You're the type of girl who sticks her pinky out during tea time!"

"So!"

"Point proven!" Nyssa grinned at me because she knew I couldn't beat her. And as if fate transpired to let it happen, an elder man came through the very same doors I walked out of with a panicked expression.

"Master Wayne! Master Wayne!"

"Can I help you with something, Mister...?" I offered.

"Please, young miss, I am looking for my- ah! Master Wayne! There you are! I've been bloody looking all over the world for you!" The older gentleman approached this young man who seemed to be just about my age.

He was undoubtedly handsome, maybe moreso than Harvey Dent could ever be but... his eyes spoke of a different story. One that told of remorse, of sadness... but I also felt something else pouring from him. His soul was also yearning for something... sinister. As if his heart had been ripped to shreds and he sought for retribution. His eyes told him he was a lost soul wanting to be found.

"I'm fine, Alfred. I was just..."

"Finding yourself?" I interjected. The young master looked at me and... I was mesmerized. He held a face that could've only been carved by the careful hands of Hephaestus, inspired by the beauty of Aphrodite and held together stronger than Atlas could carry the universe. But no, I wasn't entranced by that. I was taken back by what his eyes told me...

"Yeah, something like that." He carried a scowl, and something told me that he puts on a facade when the curtains rise.

"Ah, Alfred. I see you've found the young lord." I turned to greet my father silently. "Master Wayne, this is my eldest daughter, Talia."

"The pleasure is mine, milady." Master Wayne took my hand and kissed it like any normal gentleman would but... I felt something when he made the gesture. Something I haven't felt in quite a long time. A light tingled in me that sent sparks to my soul, and sent my heart racing faster than a speeding bullet.

"How do you do, Master Wayne?" I offered him a smile which he reciprocated. If I hadn't known any better, he might have been a sleuth when it came to women. A debonair rogue with a tint of dramatic flare.

"Please, call me Bruce." My goodness, I could get lost in that smile.

"And this is Nyssa, my youngest." My father introduced her which she gladly returned. "Children, this is Master Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprise and his guardian, Alfred. They are very influential people in this perilous city."

Wayne Enterprise? Then he is the son of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne...

This must explain his gloomy demeanor from earlier.

"I am so sorry, I didn't know." I apologized, and for what?

"For what?" Bruce smiled at me. Has he read my mind? Or is he trying to?

"It was rude of me to not know who you were. I must apologize."

"It's fine. The night isn't about me." He maintained that smile and yet I could feel something burning in him. Desire? Rage? Vengeance?

"Yes, well, while we could marvel at this blistering cold, I prefer if we took our affairs inside," my father suggested. "Especially one where I hope my daughter isn't evading our guests."

I didn't see it but I could feel my father's prying eyes fixated on me. My sister took this as the initiative to walk back.

"Right, come along now, Master Wayne." Alfred led the group, followed by my father, then the two of us.

We stood far from the crowd. I saw many faces I had grown up with attending the ball. I didn't know what I was doing but I found myself following Bruce as if he was my source of comfort in a very discomforting crowd. He didn't say much to me but we both had champagne glasses to drink idly. They weren't even serving alcohol, with us being under the legal age and whatnot.

"I hate these things," I heard Bruce utter. "They never let you be yourself and yet expect you to be someone else in attendance."

"Irony is what my grandmother would call it."

"I may as well have brought along mountain climbing gear. Nobody would suspect I left."

"Unfortunately for me, I can't share the same sentiments."

"Maybe next time you can host a party at the university."

"Now that wasn't me." I turned to see Bruce chortling. And it felt genuine. "It's nice to know someone here is discontent with these frivolous matters. I was beginning to feel alone."

"Yeah. Isolation isn't good for the soul."

"Yet... you were by yourself."

"What did you say it was called?"

"Which?"

"Whatever your grandmother said."

"Irony."

"Maybe we're two people destined to face ironies in our torpid lives."

"As platitudinous as that sounds, I couldn't agree more."

"I wish we could escape from all of this."

When he said that, it felt like an invitation. Where was I going? What mystery lies in this youthful night? Where would the story take us? What would be written? I could question myself all I want but wondering was always a painful endeavor. I hated it. But... sometimes, like with life, the journey is worth the misery and pain. Because when you do have the hear to make it to the end, you will find not misery nor pain... but beauty.

"There's a hidden passage."

"Oh?" Bruce's interests seems to have been piqued.

"Yes, my father had it built in case of emergencies."

"I do hope you're not planning to set your home on fire. I haven't been doing enough push ups lately to lift any logs off me."

"I see humor hasn't eluded you, Master Wayne." I smiled.

 _What is this feeling?_

"And here I was hoping you could call me Bruce. Now about this hidden passage."

"Oh, yes. Follow me."

"I guess I don't have to say ladies first."

We managed to stealthily maneuver ourselves away from everyone, not when the party managed had other means of entertainment. What was really surprising was how Bruce even managed to skillfully move undetected from even the most powerful of security details. These were not just ordinary men, no; these were trained warriors that even the worst crime lords of Gotham would never dare to challenge, not even in unity. We managed to make it to a garden that was occupied only by several fireflies and other nocturnal creatures.

And for the first time, I felt alive! I felt like... whatever was missing has been found. I didn't care if it was the grandeur of delusion or if he was trying to bed me. No, none of that mattered. What mattered was what I yearned for was here and I didn't even know it. For what seemed like hours we spent just talking about our varying lifestyle choices and the hobbies, and interests, and pet peeves; I felt like I could be myself with Bruce.

Every girl dreams of her prince gallantly trotting in with a glittering sword and white horse saving the day, or the white knight coming through a thunderous sky to rescue the damsel. I didn't want any of that.

I wanted the night. And this was my vengeance coming into play.

 _I didn't want a hero._

"You know, I never thought I could find someone so enlightening as you, Bruce. Even after all you've been through. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me a laugh that has been hiding from me for years."

"It sounds like you've fallen down too many times to make such a statement."

"Something like that."

"Well... my father used to tell me something whenever I was trapped in a cave I couldn't climb out of."

"Oh? I would love to hear it."

"He used to say, 'Why do we fall, Bruce? Why do we fall?'"

 _I didn't want the white knight in shining armor, for his metal hasn't been tested. I wanted more. I needed more. He wasn't any of that._

"And what did he say?"

 _What I wanted, what I needed was something more than that... a watchful protector? Or maybe a silent guardian?_

Smiling, he brushed my hair aside charmingly and said to me words I would never forget. And for the first time, after coming to live in the deep, scary darkness we call night, I have never felt so safe. My lips quivering in anticipation and it was the least of my yearnings.

"So we can learn to pick ourselves back up."

 _What I needed was here._

 _The Dark Knight._


End file.
